Winston-Salem State University marked a historic milestone as Chancellor Bonita Brown met with Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, the minister of education of the Republic of Liberia. This made their first official meeting, which aimed to foster bilateral collaboration in higher education.
The meeting took place on Sept. 30 at the WSSU campus and was a significant step toward strengthening educational ties between the two institutions. “Today, I met with the Minister of Education from the Republic of Liberia. We discussed ways we could collaborate and partner to bring their students here to access our programs,” Chancellor Brown shared. “We also discussed a cultural exchange program, where our faculty and students could go to Liberia to learn from their country and the educational strategies they are executing. It’s a win-win situation where we can join forces for the future.”
Minister Jallah’s visit coincided with the inaugural International Liberation Gala, organized by the Liberian Organization of the Piedmont. This gala aimed to raise awareness about the historic connection between Winston-Salem and Liberia. It doubled as a chance to raise funds to support the construction of a student housing project in the Happy Hill community—the first African American neighborhood in Winston-Salem. The housing project is intended to provide residential support for international Liberian students awarded scholarships to attend local universities and community colleges.
Additionally, the meeting addressed revitalizing a previously established Memorandum of Understanding between WSSU’s School of Health Sciences and Grand Bassa Community College in Liberia, reinforcing their commitment to collaboration.
WSSU and Liberian Attendants
Joining the historic meeting were WSSU’s Dr. Anthony Graham, provost and vice chancellor of Academic Affairs; Dr. Manju Bhat, dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education; and Dr. Leslee Battle, dean of the School of Health Sciences. The Liberian delegation included Dr. Emmanuel Clarke, president of the LOP, and other notable members, including Dr. James Hunder and assistants to the minister, Charles Jarrett and Regina Golay.
Following the WSSU meeting, the Liberian delegation was scheduled to meet with representatives from Wake Forest University and Livingstone College in Salisbury, further expanding the scope of their collaborative efforts.